Did minister leak his own memo?

In the leaked memo, Kachikwu accused the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),Maikanti Baru of insubordination, undermining him and a disregard for due process in the running of the affairs of the state-owned oil company.

Baru has since responded to the allegations in a statement issued through the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu.

However, a few top ranking sources within the presidency have told Pulse on the basis of anonymity that the leak of the letter to the media could only have come from Kachikwu’s office or from Kachikwu himself.

It is still unclear why Kachikwu would have leaked the memo wherein he also said he's unsuccessfully tried to secure a meeting with Buhari to discuss the contents of the letter.

The leak

“It is clear that the leak came from the minister himself or from his office. In any case, he must have authorised the leak”, one presidency source offered brazenly.

Asked why Kachikwu would leak what was supposed to be a confidential memo, another presidency source retorted: “You should ask him and not us. There’s no way we can know or guess his motive from where we sit”.

However, a few hours after the leak, Kachikwu regretted that his confidential memo to the president had become public fodder. He also condemned the leak, adding that he was “distressed” by it all.

Distressed

”Please note the following: the communication under reference is a normal procedural correspondence by the minister to the president relating to developments in parastatals under his supervision”, Kachikwu said in a statement made available by Mr Idang Alibi, who is the Director, Press Relations, at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

”It is most distressing to the ministry of petroleum resources that a confidential communication to the president on the performance of one of its parastatals can be made public”, the statement read in parts.

Calls and text messages placed to Kachikwu’s mobile for a reaction to the allegation that he leaked the memo, were neither picked nor replied before this story was published.

The meeting that never was

There are also reports that the much publicized October 6 meeting between Kachikwu and President Buhari, never held.

According to the local press, even though Kachikwu showed up at the State House ostensibly to see Buhari, he was only met by the president’s aides and not the nation's Commander-in-Chief; as was reported.

The reports were buttressed with the premise that there were no pictures of Kachikwu and Buhari in the wake of the 'meeting', to prove that both men actually met.

Buhari received memo after leak

A report by TheCable also states that the leaked memo wasn’t sent to Buhari on August 30 as has been widely reported.

Buhari only received the memo after it was leaked, on October 5, TheCable reports.

According to the story; "Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum resources, submitted his controversial memo to the office of President Muhammadu Buhari only after it was leaked to the media.

"Whereas the letter — dated August 30, 2017 — leaked on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, he submitted it only on Thursday, October 5.

"Buhari was said to have been surprised that he had not seen a letter supposedly written to him before it appeared in the media. He immediately raised an internal query on its whereabouts.

"It was initially thought to be a fake letter by presidency until the ministry of state for petroleum resources confirmed it was written by Kachikwu in a press statement on October 4.

"The registry of the chief of staff, which takes delivery of official mails for the president, denied receiving any such letter from the minister.

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"In standard public sector practice, all incoming mails are stamped “received” with date, time and signature of the receiving clerk all recorded. An acknowledgement copy is then given to the sender.

"Kachikwu was asked by presidency to provide an acknowledgment copy of his letter, TheCable understands, but he said he could not find it, further fuelling internal suspicion that there was a political slant to the controversy.

"He was then directed to submit another copy, which was received and stamped “received” on October 5.

"However, the formatting of the letter he submitted on Thursday was different from what was circulated in the media, although the substance is the same.

"In the new copy, the last paragraph on the opening page had four lines, whereas there were only two lines in the internet version with the other two lines “jumping” into the second page, TheCable learnt.

"On page 6, the subheading of the first paragraph was “STOP” — but this was not in the online version.

"It was also said that his story became inconsistent along the line.

"In the fresh copy Kachikwu sent to the office of the president on October 5, he wrote in the covering note that he was “re-sending” what he had earlier sent “to the registry of the chief of staff”, but TheCable understands that when he was asked at a security meeting on Tuesday, he said he actually sent the letter to where the president had gone for thecelebrations".

'Meant to embarrass him'

TheCable also dedicates a few lines to that meeting that apparently never was: “Sources confirmed that Kachikwu was only able to meet presidential aides and that was why there were no pictures with Buhari and he did not make any comments to the State House media on the visit.

“However, an angry Buhari ordered Baru to reply Kachikwu’s letter through the media since that was also where he read the minister’s complaints.

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“Buhari, sources told TheCable, believes the letter was meant to embarrass him because as the petroleum minister, he, and not Kachikwu, has the supervisory function over NNPC”.

Kachikwu and Baru exchanged friendly and tense looks, Tuesday, when they met at the 23rd National Economic Summit (NES) which is currently holding in Abuja.